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Module Four: Policy Brief

Christopher A. Duree

Arizona State University

OGL 350: Diversity and Organizations

Dr. Kermit Brown

November 10, 2022

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Incorporating Inclusion Practices in a Diverse Workplace

Executive Summary

Diversity in management and within the workplace has proven to be beneficial for

organizations globally. Diversity, however, can bring uncertainties and breed divisiveness

between members withing groups of all sizes. Incorporating and representing inclusive practices

can make sure all voices are heard and provides, everyone a chance to develop and succeed in

their roles and as a team. Inclusive policies can be implemented to ensure individuals are

respected, while giving them a fair chance to contribute to and benefit from organizations.

Diversity and Inclusion has become an increasingly intertwined term but there needs to be more

attention given to Inclusion policies in order for organizations and their members to thrive.

The Issue of Diversity Without Inclusion

Without inclusion, diversity can create division. Diversity alone forces the notion that the

individuals within the organization are created different and therefore places titles, names, and

other descriptions on and about each person. Inclusion rounds out diversity by respecting the

individual difference while promoting equality. These individuals should be recognized for who

and what they are without prejudice, but the focus should be on the bringing together of these

characteristics. The very nature of creating a diverse workplace is much needed, but when done

improperly it can create echo chambers, cliques, and ineffective group dynamics. When diverse

teams polarize, they can become destructive to the organization. Leadership teams can mitigate

this by incorporating inclusive practices, policies, and by representing inclusive actions from a

top-down approach.

Context and Importance

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In the context of the workplace, inclusion is very important. Imagine for a moment that

you are a hiring manager on a mission to create a more diverse team, one that represents a blend

of color, race, ideas, gender, religions, and experiences. You may check all of these boxes when

creating your team, but could unknowingly do so in a way that is non-inclusive and inefficient

for the team dynamic and organization. A person who practices Islam may be the only one in

their environment who does so, and could feel out of place by breaking away for prayer or

requesting specific religious holidays off. Likewise, a person who speaks English as a second

language may be the best candidate for the job technically but feel pressure when trying to

communicate with other team members. Another thing that could happen would be groups of

these individuals sticking with each other and not developing new workplace relationships,

because they are more comfortable working alongside like-minded or similar people.

Another factor that comes in to play is how diversity is spread and represented in an

organization. If the bottom end workers are multicultural, but the entire board is of the same

background, the working-class group may feel underserved and unrepresented. It is important

that diversity and inclusion is represented at all organizational levels while policies on the matter

engulf and guide the actions of all parties. It is essential that the highest levels of leadership are

held to the same standards and approaches if not more when compared to the foundational

workforce.

Policy Implication and Policy Options.

Forcing interaction between people can create tension and animosity towards one

another. When incorporating policies, it is important to guide the team towards beneficial

practices rather than stipulating punishments for not complying. In the effort of developing

Inclusion policies, an organization should encourage team work, respect, and tolerance, while
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providing safe avenues for reporting and monitoring of potential toxic or hazardous situations.

The attempt to incentivize inclusion could appear disingenuous and potentially cause more

tension. Policy should focus protecting the individual rights of team members while encouraging

and facilitating the cooperation and effectiveness of the group.

One specific policy option would be to incorporate periodic round tables or group

meetings where each person is able to share or explain their ideas in front of the group without

reprisal. Discussions should not be guided, rather mentored by a senior respected member in the

organization. These conversations would have a non-confrontational requirement and a focus on

constructive dialog rather than polar argumentation. Allowing members of all ranks the

opportunity to express concerns, offer solutions, and recognize their peers in a safe setting,

creates a healthy environment where the individuals start to work collectively to accomplish the

goals of the organization.

Another policy to increase team effectiveness through inclusion would be to divide work

teams up on rotations. This could be structured rigidly or nudged in the right direction by

leadership. Within the same shift, or on a rotating basis, individuals could be split up and

assigned with others on tasks. Allowing multiple groups to problem solve and work together

rather than the same team doing the same job every time. This could be beneficial in many ways.

New ideas and better process could form, friendships will be developed, and interpersonal

connections would grow. As each person on a team is given the opportunity to work with

someone new, eventually all members have experience with each other and the group becomes

more fluid. Breakouts with different sets of individuals will begin to happen naturally and less

oversight will be needed to accomplish tasks.

Supporting Research
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A recent study by the McKinsey Company showed that some employees found their

work environments to be diverse but less inclusive. “While overall sentiment on diversity was 52

percent positive and 31 percent negative, sentiment on inclusion was markedly worse, at only 29

percent positive and 61 percent negative. This encapsulates the challenge that even the more

diverse companies still face in tackling inclusion (Exhibit 4). Hiring diverse talent isn’t enough

—it’s the workplace experience that shapes whether people remain and thrive.” (Dixon-Fyle et

al., 2022) The study goes on to show that in three indicators of inclusion—equality, openness,

and belonging, sentiments were overwhelmingly negative in response from the industries

studied. These findings reinforce the idea that diversity as a standalone does not create the type

of environment that most employees want to experience. Employees want to be respected and

have an opportunity to make an impact in their roles.

In studies by Deloitte Insights, it was found that companies with inclusive cultures are

twice as likely to meet financial targets, three times as likely to be “high performing”, six times

more likely to be “innovative”, and eight time more likely to achieve “better business outcomes.”

They concluded that team members feel included when they are treated equal and with respect.

Their recommendation is that inclusion policies start with equal participation without favoritism

(Bourke, 2018). Furthermore, Deloitte claims that the actions and behaviors of a team’s leader

effects the team’s perception on individual and team performance. They identified the following

traits a leader needs to create a diverse and inclusive environment. Those traits are commitment,

courage, cognizant of bias, curiosity, culturally intelligent, and collaboration. “Clearly, these

traits are much more than just being “nice” to people, or even just being aware of unconscious

biases. Our view is that inclusive leadership is broader and a much more intentional and effortful

process. In essence, inclusion of diversity means adaptation. Leaders must alter their behaviors
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and the surrounding workplace to suit the needs of diverse talent, ideas, customers, and markets.”

(Bourke, 2018). The choices of who leads, and how, can drastically affect your team’s

cohesiveness and performance.

Conclusion: Policy Recommendations

The pressure to create diverse workforces is higher now more than ever. Creating an

equal playing field and incorporating diversity is not only the right thing to do, but can also be

highly beneficial for organizations across all industries. The simple fact stands however, that

diversity left to itself in the most basic form creates more tension and divineness. Organizations

and leaders should be focused on a growth mindset that incorporates increasing diversity in all

ways across their domains, but also provides methods to bring the best out of those varied

experiences. Creating policies that drive collaboration, protect individuals, and embody team

development, is crucial to the long-term adaptability and success of any organization.

It is recommended that that diversity and inclusion is shown at all levels of hierarchy.

Leading by example and showing representation is extremely important to show from the top

down, and the effect leadership has on the team has been highlighted. A leader in today’s

workplace needs to not only understand their biases, but be open to new cultures, ideas, process,

and interactions. Teams will become ever more diverse naturally and through action, and it is up

to change leaders to make sure those diverse voices are heard, understood, and acknowledged. It

is no longer “enough” to just place diverse people in roles out of hitting a target or adhering to

affirmative action plans. Inclusion should be at the forefront of all central policies, and

incoherence to these policies should not be tolerated. Equality felt in the workplace translates to

innovation, process improvement, better product development, and more satisfied teams.
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Adopting inclusive policies is not only the right way of doing business, but a better way of doing

business.
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References

Bourke, J. (2018, January 22). The diversity and Inclusion Revolution: Eight powerful truths.

Deloitte Insights. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from

https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/deloitte-review/issue-22/diversity-and-inclusion-

at-work-eight-powerful-truths.html

Dixon-Fyle, S., Dolan, K., Hunt, D. V., & Prince, S. (2022, April 6). Diversity wins: How

inclusion matters. McKinsey & Company. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from

https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-wins-how-

inclusion-matters